Control for a screen or storm door associated with a building entrance door



J. NZ 2,965,918

0 ORM D0 AS IATED L ENTRA E D 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 CONTROL FOR A SCREEN WITH A BUI Dec. 27, 1960 Flled Nov 14 1957 JNVENTOR. Q]%27 Lea ff W 4,

meme 5 Dec. 27, 1960 J. LEANZA 2,965,913 CONTROL FOR A SCREEN OR STORM DOOR ASSOCIATED WITH A BUILDING ENTRANCE DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 14, 1957 R K M m. s m .w .w .-u-HHS mum? up w. W J m H H M@w a. RN Q m a m wm. E \QM K L a 1 mN ALI W w Q mw 3m N Dec. 27, 1960 J, LEANZA 2,965,918 CONTROL FOR A SCREEN OR STORM DOOR ASSOCIATED WITH A BUILDING ENTRANCE DOOR Filed Nov. 14, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ik I JNVENTOR. (705v Leavg diary eggs United States Patent CONTROL FOR A SCREEN OR STORM DOOR AS- ?)(ggfiTED WITH A BUILDING ENTRANCE John Leanza, 60 Seymour Ave., Staten Island 2, N.Y.

Filed Nov. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 696,417

6 Claims. (Cl. 16-82) This invention relates to automatic means for controlling the operation of screen or storm doors which are associated with building entrance doors.

When an outer screen or storm door is associated with a building entrance door, the former, as well known to the art, is usually equipped with some form of yieldable sprirng means for swinging the same closed from an open position thereof. When it is desired to open the building entrance door in entering the building, the outer screen or storm door must first be swung open against its closing spring means, and then physically held open in some manner by the entering person. The necessity for physically holding open the outer screen or storm door while opening the inner main entrance door, frequently involves awkward and inconvenient manipulation, particularly when the entering person is carrying bundles, luggage or the like, or must obtain and manipulate a key to unlock the inner main entrance door.

Having the above in view, it is an object of this invention to provide means operative to hold open the outer screen or storm door against the urge of its closing spring means, whereby to avoid the requirement and inconvenience of physically holding open the same while performing the necessary operations required to open the inner main entrance door, the latter door being provided with means, cooperative with the screen or storm door holding means, which functions to release said holding means after the main entrance door is opened, so that the screen or storm door can thereupon automatically close under the urge of its closing spring means.

The above and other objects will become apparent upon reading the following description of illustrative embodiments of this invention in connection with the' accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary showing in horizontal section of an outer screen or storm door and a building entrance door as equipped with one illustrative embodiment of outer door control means according to this invention, the said doors being shown in normal closed positions; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the outer door open and held open by the control means; and Fig. 3 is a similar fragmentary view showing the building entrance door open, and the holding means of the outer door control means released to permit spring closing of the outer door.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, drawn on an enlarged scale, of the holding means in normal initial condition ready to be operated by opening of the outer door; Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the same; and Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the same, viewed in the direction of arrow X in Fig. 2, with its parts actuated to hold open the outer door.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, further enlarged, taken on line 77 in Fig. 4; and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view, further enlarged, taken on line 8-8 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view, drawn on an enlarged scale, showing modified means for disengaging a detent pawl from the ratchet check bar of an Patented Dec. 27, 1960 outer door holding means; and Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the detent pawl operatively engaged with the ratchet check bar of an outer door holding means.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing the outer door holding means as arranged between outer and inner doors respectively hinged to opposite sides of a door frame.

Fig. 12 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but showing a modified form of outer door control means embodying the principles of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, the reference character 15 indicates an outer screen or storm door and 16 the building entrance door; said doors being optionally hinged to swing either from the same side (see Fig. 1) or respectively from opposite sides (see Fig. 11) of a door frame 17. As well known to the art, the outer door 15 is adapted to be provided with any suitable form or arrangement of spring means (not shown) which will operate to swing said outer door from open to normal closed position.

One illustrative embodiment of outer door control means according to this invention, as shown in Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive and Fig. 11, comprises an elongated tubular barrel or cylinder 18 open at its outer end, and pivotally joined at its inner end, by a vertical pivot pin 19, to an inner fulcrum bracket 20 which is affixed to a face of the door frame 17, at the side of the latter to which the outer door 15 is hinged. Telescopically entered through the open outer end of the barrel or cylinder 18, for longitudinal sliding movement relative thereto, is a ratchet check bar 21. This ratchet check bar is pivotally connected at its outer end to an outer fulcrum bracket 22 which is aifixed to the inner face of the outer door 15. Suitably aifixed to the outer end portion of the barrel or cylinder 18 is a guide member 23 which provides an endwise open guideway passage 24 that extends parallel to and externally above the barrel or cylinder 18.

Longitudinally slidable in the guideway passage 24 of the guide member 23 is a detent pawl means that is adapted to cooperate with the ratchet check bar 21. One form of said detent pawl means, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 8, comprises a slide piece 25, to the bifurcated outer end of which is pivotally connected, by transverse pin 26, a detent pawl 27. The detent pawl 27 is yieldably urged toward the ratchet check bar 21 by a leaf spring 28, or by any other suitable spring means. The outer extremity of the barrel or cylinder 18 terminates within the guide member 23 in rearwardly spaced relation to the outer end of the latter, whereby to allow free access of the detent pawl 27 to the ratchet check bar 21 for engagement therewith.

The detent pawl means is adapted to be advanced to a ratchet check bar engaging position from a normally retracted disengaged relation to the latter. Means is provided for disengaging the detent pawl 27 from the teeth of the ratchet check bar, when the detent pawl means is retracted to its normal initial position. One form ofsuch means comprises longitudinal slots 29 respectively provided in the opposite sides of the guide member 23, into which slots the ends of the pin 26 project, so as to ride therein. Bridging across the guideway passage 24 of the guide member 23 is a transverse lift bar 30. This lift bar underlies the path of movement of the detent pawl 27, and is so located that it will be engaged by said detent pawl, when the latter is retracted from an operative advanced position to a normal initial retracted position, whereby to up swing said detent pawl to a normal disengaged relation to the ratchet check bar 21 (see Fig. 5

Pivotally supported upon the inner fulcrum bracket 20, e.g. by journaling the same on an end of the vertical pivot pin 19 by which the barrel or cylinder 18 is pivotally coupled to said inner fulcrum bracket, is a detent pawl control lever member which provides an inner lever arm 31 and an oppositely extending outer lever arm 32. Interposed between the inner fulcrum bracket 20'and said lever member is a coil spring 33. One end of this coil spring is anchored to said inner fulcrum bracket 20, and the opposite end thereof is anchored to the outer lever arm 32, whereby the unopposed tension of said coil spring operates to rotate the lever member in direction to swing its outer lever arm rearwardly to a normal initial retracted position, e.g., as shown in Fig. 4, in clockwise direction. Interconnecting the outer lever arm 32 of the lever member with the slide piece 25 of the detent pawl means is a link member 34.

Afiixed to the inner door 16 is a stop member 35 which, when said inner door is disposed in closed position, abuts the forward side of the inner lever arm 31 of the detent pawl control lever member. This stop member is preferably so constructed and arranged as to be rearwardly yieldable, i.e. toward the door frame 17, and can be provided with any suitable form of spring means (not shown) to yieldably hold the same in normal stopping abutment against said inner lever arm 31. Said stop member 35 can therefore readily yield to return of the detent pawl control lever member to its normal initial position under any circumstances in which such action of the stop member is required.

In the operation of the outer door control means, characterized as above described, when both the outer door 15 and inner door 16 are closed (as shown in Fig. 1), the outer lever arm 32 of the detent pawl control lever member occupies its normal rearwardly swung position, whereby to draw rearward the link member 34, thus retracting the detent pawl means to a position in which the detent pawl 27 is disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet check bar 21, while the inner lever arm 31 of the detent pawl control lever member is engaged by the stop member 35 on the inner door 16. If, under these conditions, the outer door is swung open to give access to the closed inner door, the outswinging movement of said outer door exerts an outward pull upon the ratchet check bar 21 relative to the barrel or cylinder 18, while at the same time effecting an angular displacement of these parts relative to the plane of the closed inner door 16 (see Fig. 2). Since the inner lever arm 31 of the detent pawl control lever member remains engaged by the stop member 35 on the closed inner door 16 as this occurs, said stop member functions as the fulcrum of a forward swinging movement of the detent pawl control lever member, which movement is induced by the aforesaid angular displacement of the extended ratchet check bar 21 and barrel or cylinder 18. Such movement of the detent pawl control lever member causes a forward swinging movement of its outer lever arm 32 relative to the extended ratchet check bar 21 and barrel or cylinder 18. The forward swinging movement of said outer lever arm 32 effects aforward movement of the link member 34 which slides forward the slide piece 25, thereby to advance the detent pawl 27 beyond the lifting effect of the transverse lift bar 30, so that the detent pawl 27 can swing downward into engagement with the ratchet check bar 21 (see Fig. 6). The outer door 15 can be swung open to a desired degree, and thereupon the detent pawl 27 will engage an underlying appropriate tooth of the ratchet check bar, whereby to prevent inward movement of the latter relative to the barrel or cylinder 18, thus maintaining a selected extension of these parts which braces and holds the outer door open against the closing action of any closing spring means with which it is equipped.

The outer door 15 being held in desired open position for access to the inner door 16, without necessity for exercise of physical effort .to such end; the entering person is free to perform all necessary operations and manipulations required to unlock and/ or open said inner door.

The outer door being held open, whenthereafter the inner door is swung open, the inward swinging movement thereof withdraws the stop member 35 from engagement with the inner lever arm 31 :of the detent pawl control lever member (see Fig. 3). The detent pawl control lever member being thus freed from the restraint of the stop member 35, the tension of the coil spring 33 is unopposed, so that said coil spring thereupon functions to rotate said lever member so as to swing rearward its outer lever arm 32 about the pivot pin 19 as a fulcrum. Such rearward movement of said outer lever arm 32 exerts rearward pull upon the link member 34, and thus retracts the slide piece 25 and detent pawl 27, whereby to disengage the latter from holding engagement with the ratchet check bar 21. Under these circumstances, the ratchet check bar is free to slide back into the barrel or cylinder 18, when a closing spring operative upon the outer door 15 swings the latter back to its normal closed position.

Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, these figures show a modified arrangement for guiding the detent pawl 27' to and from engagement with the ratchet check bar 21. In this arrangement, the detent pawl 27' can be similarly pivoted on the end of the link member 34', with the pin 26 of said detent pawl disposed to ride in guide slots 36, with which the side walls of the guide member 23 are provided. Said guide slots 36 terminate at their rear ends in upwardly inclined end portions 37 which effect uplifting disengagement of the detent pawl from the ratchet check bar upon retractive movement of the link member 34.

It may sometimes occur that after the outer door 15 has been opened and held open, the operator changes his mind about opening the inner door 16, and desires to reclose the open outer door. Release of the outer door control means under such circumstances can be effected by manually swinging rearwardly the stop member 35 so as to snap the same over and behind the lever arm 31 of the detent pawl control lever member, thus releasing the latter subject to that movement by its coil spring 33 which disengages the detent pawl 27 from the ratchet check bar 21, thus permitting the outer door 15 to reclose, and the normally positioned lever arm 31 to snap back he hind the yieldable stop member 35 when said outer door resumes closed position. Release of the outer door control means, under such circumstances, can be effected by manipulation of the lever means 38 which is affixed to an external end of a journal portion 26 of the detent pawl 27 (see Figs. 4, 5 and 6), whereby to manually disengage the detent pawl from the ratchet check bar, there by releasing the latter for return into the barrel or cylinder 18.

Although a telescopic ratchet check bar and barrel or cylinder arrangement and cooperative detent pawl control means therefor has been above described as one practical embodiment of this invention, in its broad aspects the invention is not to be deemed restricted thereto, since the principle of control between an outer screen or storm door and an inner entrance door is applicable to other specific forms of means operative to brace and hold open the outer door. For example, the principles of this invention can be applied to pneumatic or like door check devices. Illustrative of this, as shown in Fig. 12, the invention can be embodied in a pneumatic door check comprising a cylinder 40 pivotally coupled, by its inner end, to the inner fulcrum bracket 20, and a piston 41 entered in said cylinder, the piston rod 42 being pivotally coupled to the outer fulcrum bracket 22, which is affixed to the inner face of the outer door 15. Pivotally supported upon the inner fulcrum bracket 20 is the spring retracted lever member comprising the inner lever arm 31', which cooperates with the stop member 35' on the inner door 16, and the outer lever arm 32'. In this arrangement, the cylinder 40 is provided with a suitably located air discharge port 43, and a slide valve 44 is mounted on the cylinder 40 to close and open said port. The slide valve is connected by a link member 45 to the outer lever arm 32'. When the outer door 15 is swung open, the piston asasms 41 is moved outwardly through the cylinder to extend these parts between the outer door and door frame 17. As this occurs, the lever arm 32' will be advanced to transmit movement to the slide valve 44, whereby to position the latter in closing relation to the air discharge port 43. The port 43 being closed, inward movement of the piston 41 is resisted by resulting air compression within the cylinder 40, and consequently the outer door 15 is held open by the extended cylinder and piston disposition. When, however, upon opening the inner door 16, the stop member 35' is withdrawn from engagement with the inner lever arm 31 of the lever member, said lever member can be rotated, by its coil spring 33, to swing back the outer lever arm 32', and, through the link member 45, thereby withdraw the slide valve 44, from air discharge 43, thus opening the latter to relieve air compression within the cylinder 40. No longer being resisted by air compression, the piston 41 can move inwardly within the cylinder, under closing movement of the outer door as eifected by closing spring means with which said door is equipped.

As many changes could be made in the above described constructions and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the following claims, it is intended that all matter set forth in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a building entrance structure having an outer door and an inner door, said doors being mounted on a door frame, the combination of control means to hold open the outer door until the inner door has been opened, said control means comprising extensible means adapted to be pivotally connected by one end to the door frame and by its other end to the outer door, whereby said extensible means will be extended and collapsed during opening and closing of the outer door, releasable holding means to hold said extensible means extended against collapse after the outer door is opened, a spring retracted lever member to control said holding means, and a stop means mounted on the inner door to engage said lever member and subject the same to swinging movement during opening movement of the outer door in a direction to actuate said holding means, opening of the inner door being operative to disengage said stop means from said lever member so that the latter is subject to spring retracted movement which releases said holding means to permit collapse of said extensible means, thereby allowing the outer door to close.

2. In a building entrance structure having an outer door and an inner door, said doors being mounted on a door frame, the combination of control means to hold open the outer door until the inner door has been opened, said control means comprising an extensible means adapted to be pivotally connected by one end to the door frame and by its other end to the outer door, whereby said extensible means will be extended and collapsed during opening and closing of the outer door, said extensible means including a ratchet check bar and detent pawl means to engage and disengage said ratchet check bar, a spring retracted lever member to control the detent pawl means, and a stop means mounted on the inner door to engage said lever member so as to swing the same in a direction, when the outer door is opened and the extensible means is extended, operative to move the detent pawl means into holding engagement with the ratchet check bar, opening of the inner door being operative to disengage said stop means from the lever member, whereupon the latter is subject to spring retractive movement operative to disengage the detent pawl means from the ratchet check bar, thereby permitting collapse of the extensible means to allow the outer door to close.

3, In a building entrance structure having an outer door and 'an inner door, said doors being mounted on 'a door frame, the combination of control means to' hold open the outer door until the inner door has been opened, said control means comprising an extensible member adapted to be pivotally connected by one end to the door frame and by its other end to the outer door, whereby said extensible member will be extended and collapsed during opening and closing of the outer door, said extensible member including a ratchet check bar and detent pawl means to engage and disengage said ratchet check bar, a lever member pivotally mounted substantially coincident to the pivoted inner end of the extensible member, said lever member having an outer lever arm and an oppositely extending inner-lever arm, means connected with the outer lever arm of said lever member to control the detent pawl means by movements of the lever member, stop means mounted on the inner door to engage the inner lever-arm of said lever member whereby to swing the lever member in a direction operative to move the detent pawl means to ratchet check bar engaging position when the outer door is opened and the extensible member is extended, opening of the inner door being operative to disengage said stop means from the inner lever arm of said lever member, and spring means to retract said lever member when its inner lever arm is disengaged by said stop means, thereby to disengage the detent pawl means from the ratchet check bar and thus to permit collapse of the extensible member and the outer door to close.

4. In a building entrance structure having an outer door and an inner door, said doors being mounted on a door frame, the combination of control means to hold open the outer door until the inner door has been opened, said control means comprising an extensible member formed by a tubular barrel and a telescopic ratchet check bar, means to pivotally connect the inner end of said barrel to the door frame, means to pivotally connect the outer end of the ratchet check bar to the outer door, whereby said extensible member will be extended and collapsed during opening and closing of the outer door, a detent pawl means, means on the outer end portion of said barrel to support the detent pawl means for projection and retraction to and from ratchet check bar engaging position, a lever member pivotally mounted substantially coincident to the pivoted inner end of said barrel, said lever member having an outer lever arm and an oppositely extending inner lever arm, a link member connected with the outer lever arm to transmit movements of the lever member to the detent pawl means, stop means mounted on the inner door to engage the inner lever arm, whereby to swing the lever member in a direction operative to move the detent pawl means to ratchet check bar engaging position when the outer door is opened and the extensible member is extended, opening of the inner door being operative to disengage said stop means from said inner lever arm, and spring means to retract said lever member when its inner lever arm is disengaged by said stop means, thereby to disengage the detent pawl means from the ratchet check bar and thus to permit collapse of the extensible member and the outer door to close.

5. In a building entrance structure having an outer door and an inner door, said doors being mounted on a door frame, the combination of control means to hold open the outer door until the inner door has been opened, said control means comprising extensible means adapted to be pivotally connected by one end to the door frame and by its other end to the outer door, whereby said extensible means will be extended and collapsed during opening and closing of the outer door, releaseable holding means to hold said extensible means against collapse after the outer door is opened, a lever member pivotally mounted in connection with the door frame, said lever member having an outer lever arm and an oppositely extending inner lever arm, a link member connected with the outer lever arm to transmit movements of the lever member operative to control said holding means, stop means mounted on the inner door to engage the inner lever arm whereby to swing the lever member in a direction operative to actuate the holding means when the outer door is opened, opening of the inner door being operative to disengage the stop means from said inner lever arm, and spring means to retract said lever member when its inner lever arm is disengaged by the stop means, thereby to release the holding means to permit collapse of the extensible means and the outer door to close.

6. In a building entrance structure having an outer door and an inner door, said doors being mounted on a door frame, the combination of control means to hold open the outer door until the inner door has been opened, said control means comprising an extensible pneumatic door check formed by a cylinder and a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, said piston having a piston rod extending outwardly from the cylinder, means to pivotally connect the inner end of the cylinder to the door frame, means to pivotally connect the piston rod to the outer door, said cylinder having an air discharge port, a valve means to close and open said discharge port, a lever member pivotally mounted substantially coincident to the pivoted inner end of said cylinder, said lever member having an outer lever arm and an oppositely extending inner lever arm, a link member connected with the outer lever arm to transmit movements of the lever member to said valve means, stop means mounted on the inner door to engage the inner lever arm whereby to swing the lever member in a direction operative to move the valve means to air discharge port closing position when the outer door is opened, opening of the inner door being operative to disengage said stop means from said inner lever arm, and spring means to retract the lever member when its inner lever arm is disengaged by said stop means, thereby to move said valve means to air discharge port opening position so as to permit collapse of the extensible door check and the outer door to close.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,255,019 Kelly Jan. 29, 1918 1,388,881 Palm Aug. 30, 1921 2,196,779 Persson Apr. 9, 1940 

